Sarah Doody
Accelerate failure. It’s a bit opposite from what we’re used to.
Normally, we like to run from failure. We like to do everything we can do to avoid it.
As designers, researchers, product managers, etc. we like to think through everything. We like to take our time, explore our options, and tinker with our ideas.
But what if instead you … accelerated failure?
I did another experiment last week…
I launched something that wasn’t perfect. But I knew I needed to launch it so I could gather feedback. It was a series of emails. Because I wanted to give the user control, I had a link that people could click if they didn’t want to get those emails any more.
Here’s a quote I love …
Reid Hoffman, founder of LinkedIn once said, “if you’re not embarrassed by your first release, then you launched too late.”
I heard this saying years ago and always share it with my consulting clients. But as with most “sayings” it’s much easier to say than it is to apply.
In any project, it’s inevitable that you’ll need to compromise.
You may need to compromise on your timeline, scope of work, or what you do versus what you delegate to others.
But … compromise is really hard! Why? Because we often have a grand vision of what we want something to be. And the longer we’re working on it, the more vivid that vision becomes.Continue reading
Quick update on what I’m working on and hopefully some lessons you can apply to your own projects!
First up, the re-design of the website for The UX Notebook. This week I did some quick feedback sessions with readers of this weekly newsletter as well as some other people in the UX industry. I wanted to get some fresh eyes on the project so that I could make sure I wasn’t stuck in a silo.
Want to put your design skills to the test? I highly recommend that you launch your own product. It’s a great way to put to practice things like project management, feature prioritization, identifying and validating a problem, market research, marketing, and more.
I promise, it will be the hardest thing you do. But you will also have a lot of fun, because it’s yours.
The re-design of my product, The UX Notebook website is going well. And yes, I’m trying to practice what I preach and not be my own worst client!
One thing that’s been helpful is that I have a few people working with me on the project, so I’m avoiding the situation of designing this in a silo.
What is a design lens? Why is designing with lenses so important in user experience and product development?
As we know, it’s easy to get tunnel vision, to get stuck on your perspective, to design in a silo. Design lenses help us see our product and vet product ideas through different perspectives.
Recently, I’ve been doing this in one project of my own, a re-imagination of the website for The UX Notebook.
When I start any project, I allow myself time to go into research mode. I ask a ton of questions, talk to people, and explore similar products. But I create a deadline for research. Why?
I’ve been beta testing a program about UX portfolios recently. When I first had the idea, I did some research and then, armed with my research, I went to work and created the curriculum. But here’s the thing, I didn’t stop doing research once I launched the product. I’ve continued to research as I’ve been building this program.
One of my friends, Tami, is a really great communicator. She doesn’t waste time and she gets to the point. A lot of people could think it’s abrasive or cold to receive an email reply from her that’s only a short sentence. But the truth is, she’s simply being smart with her time and not adding clutter to our already busy lives!
How do you validate your idea? What happens when you don’t validate your idea?
A friend of mine works in sales and has been watching me slowly venture into the world of online courses. While at lunch a few days ago he said that he wants to start doing online courses as well. I immediately blurted out, “you have no idea how much work it is”.